WHZ View: Three who played for both West Ham and Leeds
West Ham will host Leeds United at the London Stadium in a Premier League clash next Monday.
It’s the first time the Hammers have hosted Leeds in the top-flight since November of 2002. Back then it would be hard to imagine these two huge clubs would barely cross paths over the next 19 seasons.
Both sides will be confident going into the clash next week. West Ham are pushing for European football under David Moyes and will see this as a must-win game.
Leeds are enjoying their first season back in the top-flight for 16 years. Marcelo Bielsa’s men have played with confidence this season and already look to be safe.
In anticipation of the clash, West Ham Zone chose to look at three players who have had good spells for the Hammers and for Leeds.
Rio Ferdinand
Rio came through the youth ranks at West Ham and played for five seasons in the first team. The England international featured over 100 times for the Hammers, and won the Hammer of the Year award in 1998 at the age of 19.
He moved to Yorkshire for what was then a British record transfer fee of £18million in November 2000. In doing so he became the world’s most expensive defender.
Ferdinand went on to win everything at club level with Manchester United. He’s one of the finest defenders England have ever produced.
Lee Bowyer
Bowyer moved to Leeds from Charlton Athletic in 1996. He was signed by Howard Watkinson for £2.8million, which was at the time a record fee for a British defender. The midfielder went on to play over 200 games for the Whites.
He played a crucial role as Leeds progressed in the Champions League in 2001. Bowyer scored against Barcelona, AC Milan and Anderlecht, and was named supporters player of the season in 1998-99 and 2000-01.
The Englishman moved to West Ham in the 2002-03 season. He was hampered by persistent ankle injuries, and only played 11 times as we were relegated. Bowyer moved to Newcastle but joined again in the 2006-07 season. He played 41 times over three seasons, scoring four goals.
Robert Snodgrass
Snoddy joined Leeds in 2008 from Scottish side Livingston. In his first two seasons he scored 21 goals and got 33 assists in League One, playing a crucial role in getting them back to the Championship. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year in the 2009-10 promotion season.
The winger played over 150 times for the Whites, winning both the fans and players player of the year awards in the 2011-12 season. He departed for Norwich that summer.
The Scotsman moved to West Ham in January 2017 from Hull for a fee in excess of £10millon. After struggling at first, he won the fans over with his tireless displays and deadly set-pieces.
He’s thought of very fondly at West Ham, and the fans were sad to see him move to West Brom in January 2021. Snoddy scored seven goals in 75 appearances in claret and blue.
In other West Ham news, Winston Reid is performing very well whilst on loan to Brentford.